Arkwright History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The name Arkwright comes from one of the family having worked as a maker of chests, or other pieces of furniture. Wright is a word for a cabinet maker, or more generally a worker in wood. The element "ark" is derived from the Old English arc, meaning "ark, chest," and "wright" which is derived from the Old English wyrhta, meaning "craftsman, maker."
Early Origins of the Arkwright family
The surname Arkwright was first found in Derbyshire, where the Arkwright family held a family seat from very early times, long before the Norman Conquest of the Duke of Normandy, in 1066. They were the makers of chests.
Early History of the Arkwright family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Arkwright research. Another 50 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1732, 1769 and 1792 are included under the topic Early Arkwright History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Arkwright Spelling Variations
Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Arkwright have been found, including: Arkwright, Arkright, Artrick, Artrip, Hartwright, Hartrick and many more.
Early Notables of the Arkwright family
Notables of this surname at this time include:
- Sir Richard Arkwright (1732-1792), who created a "spinning-frame," which he patented in 1769...
Arkwright migration to West Indies +
The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association.
1Arkwright Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
- John Arkwright, who settled in Jamaica in 1685
Contemporary Notables of the name Arkwright (post 1700) +
- George Alfred Arkwright (1888-1972), American Republican politician, lawyer 2
- May Arkwright (1860-1915), American suffrage leader in the early history of the Pacific Northwest of the United States
- John Arkwright, American author
- Richard Arkwright (1732-1792), Englishman born at Preston 23 Dec. 1732, the youngest of thirteen children who was credited with inventing the spinning frame 3
- Marian Arkwright (1863-1922), English composer
- Ian Arkwright (b. 1959), English professional footballer who played from 1978 to 1988
- Henry Arkwright (1837-1866), English amateur cricketer
- Henry Arkwright (1811-1889), English amateur cricketer
- Harold Arthur Arkwright (1872-1942), English cricketer who played from 1893 to 1898
- George Arkwright (1807-1856), English politician, Member of Parliament for Leominster (1842–1856)
- ... (Another 12 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
The Arkwright Motto +
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Multa tuli fecique
Motto Translation: I have endured and done much.
Citations +